Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

The next morning, Jason returned from the mountain and was stepping out of the elevator when he spotted someone curled up by his door.

The dozing figure stirred at the sound, rubbing sleep-filled eyes.

"Mr. Foster! You're back!"

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked, surprised.

"I've been waiting for you all night," Yara replied.

Having been huddled there for hours, Yara struggled to stand, her limbs numb. She massaged her legs with a pitiful expression.

Jason sighed resignedly as he took out his keys and unlocked the door.

"Legs fallen asleep? Come in and sit for a while."

Yara brightened instantly-her fatigue vanishing along with the numbness in her feet -and followed him inside.

Jason poured her a glass of water. "Here, drink this."

"Thank you, Mr. Foster."

Yara accepted the perfectly tempered water, feeling warmth spread through her heart.

"Was there something you needed?" Jason asked.

After a moment's thought, Yara said earnestly, "Mr. Foster, I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

Jason smiled faintly and shook his head. "I wanted a long vacation anyway. It has nothing to do with you, so please don't feel burdened."

Yara fell silent briefly, then seemed to gather her courage. Looking up at Jason with determination, she said, "Mr. Foster, I have feelings for you."

This was her second formal confession.

Considering Yara's fragility, Jason chose silence rather than an immediate response this time.

His silence made Yara increasingly anxious and hurt.

"Mr. Foster. when,vou said I wasn't,vour type that day. it broke my heart." she said.

Suddenly, her eyes widened with excitement as a thought struck her. "Mr. Foster, were you just saying that because of our teacher-student relationship? Now that you're not my professor anymore, we're free to date!"

Jason replied as gently as possible, "Didn't I tell you I have a girlfriend?"

"I don't believe it. I..."

"Jason, could you help me? This is too heavy for me," a woman's voice called from outside, cutting Yara off mid-sentence.

Jason and Yara both went to the door to find Lacey struggling with a folded tent.

Lacey paused when she saw Yara. She asked, "Yara? What brings you here? How are you feeling? Better now?"

Faced with these rapid-fire questions, Yara couldn't respond. Lacey's appearance had crushed the small hope she'd been harboring.

"Why are you both just standing there? Come in and sit. Why are you here so early? No classes today?" Lacey handed the tent to Jason and welcomed Yara inside like she owned the place.

Yara studied Lacey more carefully than she had at the hospital. Lacey moved with natural grace, her slightly curled long hair framing a face that exuded both rationality and maturity.

"You two were together last night?" Yara asked, heartbroken.

Lacey glanced back with a smile. "Yes, we all need to unwind after working so hard. We went camping in the mountains."

She looked up at Jason with a charming smile, and they exchanged a knowing glance.

That seemingly casual moment pierced Yara's heart.

"Stop pretending to fool me," she suddenly blurted out.

Both Jason and Lacey turned to her in surprise.

Yara looked from Lacey to Jason. know the truth-she's not your girlfriend. She's your cousin."

"Cousin?" Jason and Lacey echoed simultaneously.

Yara nodded earnestly. "Yes, I've done my research. The CEO of Skyline International Corporation is your cousin, and she's the CEO's sister. What else would that make her but your cousin?"

The relationship was indeed complicated, and they weren't sure how to explain it to her.

But Lacey felt it necessary to clarify things. Otherwise, Yara would continue holding onto false hope.

Facing such a naive young woman, a clean break seemed kindest to spare her future and her heart.

Not everyone was fortunate enough to have their feelings reciprocated. Getting hurt was an inevitable part of life's journey.

Yara needed to learn to face rejection, accept it, and grow from the experience. "Yara, I'm impressed you did your research. That shows how much you care for Jason. But I need to tell you the truth-I'm not his cousin. My brother is indeed his cousin because my brother and I share the same mother but different fathers. Does that make sense?" Lacey explained.

Yara bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes, her heartbreak evident.

Lacey squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sure you'll meet someone who returns your feelings someday."

Yara blinked, tears rolling down her cheeks as she wiped them away awkwardly. "But I only love Mr. Foster. I'll never be able to love anyone else. How can I ever find mutual love?"

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Since Lacey was clearly Jason's girlfriend-her competition-Yara didn't want to cry in front of her. To preserve her last shred of dignity, she wiped her tears and ran out.

Lacey noticed Jason's concern and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. After what happened that night, I'm confident she won't do anything rash again."

In truth, Lacey could barely maintain her smile.

Yara's final words had struck a chord.

Indeed, when one had fallen for someone, how could one simply fall for another? How could one find mutual love?

Forcing a smile, she said, "I should head to the office. Your flight's tomorrow, right? Have a safe trip. Go out, clear your head, and relax."

After leaving Jason's apartment, Lacey walked slowly down the street, watching white clouds drift across the sky.

Twice now she had pretended to be Jason's girlfriend in front of Yara. Though she knew it was just pretense, her heart had momentarily filled with happiness and contentment.

Realizing this, she smiled bitterly at her own pathetic situation.noveldrama

In truth, she wasn't so different from Yara-loving him without reciprocation. The only difference was that she was older, more mature. She had confessed once before; they had nearly married. After everything they'd been through, she had learned to hide her feelings. Unlike Yara, she would never act impulsively or irrationally.

The next day, Lacey stood by her office window, watching a plane cross the sky, its roar gradually fading.

Her phone rang-Richard asking her to come to his office.

When she arrived, Richard handed her a document. "Lacey, I think you're the only one

who can handle this international contract."

At the mention of going abroad, Lacey's heart skipped a beat.

"Why me?" she asked casually.

Richard leaned forward, fingers interlaced, and smiled. "You've lived abroad for years,

and you're incredibly capable. Who could be better suited for this task?"

Lacey smiled. "You rarely compliment me like this. I guess I can't refuse."

The following day, she boarded a plane bound for overseas.

Looking through the window as the plane pierced through thick clouds, she felt a sense of déjà vu.

This arrangement seemed like fate, though she knew Richard's intentions in sending

her.

She didn't mind the trip-it served both business and personal purposes.

Lacey wasn't one to avoid challenges or retreat. When she had canceled their wedding

and left the country, it wasn't to escape but because she didn't want to force him into marriage or constrain him.

After a year abroad, she hadn't forgotten him, and Jason remained single.

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you might be missing out on the complete story. Head over there to dive into the next chapter it's all free!

Since they were both still available, she didn't mind trying once more for her own happiness.

Upon arrival, she went to her former apartment building. The elderly landlady remembered her, and coincidentally, the apartment Lacey had once lived in was vacant

its previous tenant, another young woman, had returned home just two weeks

earlier.

Lacey settled in, feeling at home in the familiar space where she had lived for over a

year.

That evening, she went out for a casual stroll and bought some essentials. Richard hadn't set a deadline for this assignment, so she didn't know how long she would stay-it depended on how long he would be there.

She knew her apartment wasn't far from the medical school. The thought of being under the same foreign sky as Jason, potentially running into him around any corner, filled her with a strange excitement.

If they did meet, would he suspect she had followed him?

Even if Jason did suspect, she didn't care. She had always been open about her feelings for him. He knew.

After being alone for so long, she had realized he was still the one she loved most. Lacey felt life shouldn't be lived with regrets.

Returning from the supermarket, she entered the building alongside two foreign female students.

The landlady owned several units in the building with many tenants.

Lacey joined them in the elevator as they chatted about tomorrow's school celebration.

Lacey greeted them, introducing herself as a new tenant, and asked, "Are you medical students?"

They nodded and friendlily told her about the upcoming school celebration, clearly excited.

"Can non-students attend?" Lacey inquired.

Noticing her interest, they exchanged glances and offered to bring her along as their friend.

Lacey thanked them profusely and shared her supermarket fruits with them.

The next day, Lacey tied her hair in a ponytail and wore a white blouse with a short

skirt-a youthful outfit unlike her usual professional style.

She wanted to blend in at the school.

That morning, Lacey prepared breakfast and invited the two students over. They

praised her cooking skills.

After breakfast, they escorted Lacey to the school.

She didn't know when or how she might encounter Jason, or what his reaction would

be.

She felt excited, nervous, yet determined!